‘COLLAPSE’ and the APOCALYPSE

Is the looming collapse of the global environment synonymous with fundamentalist Christianity’s ranting about the looming apocalypse?

In his ‘Letter to a Christian Nation’ San Harris points out that nearly half of the American population is convinced that Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead sometime in the next fifty years. As a result, they don’t give a fig about the fate of civilization or the environment.

Harris writes, “According to the most common interpretation of biblical prophecy, Jesus will return only after things have gone horribly awry here on earth.”

Scientists are already warning us what will happen when densely populated coastal lowlands, like Bangledesh, are flooded, and displaced, starving millions push uncontrollably across international borders. Who will help them? The ‘Christian’ countries that contributed most to global disaster? The ‘Christians’ who don’t give a damn because all this is just as they predicted and expected - standing in their little congregations waiting to go up the golden escalator?

Yes this is something I have thought about many times. I certainly feel that the Christian view here could easily be a self-fulfilling prophecy. I’m 100% sure that in the event of an environmental meltdown Christians will be more than ready to shout rapture. The REAL problems the human species face are protecting the ONE PLANET WE’VE GOT and UNCONTROLLED POPULATION GROWTH.

According to best evidence, Jesus was most likely an apocalyptic Jew who went around preaching the end of the world within the lifetimes of those who heard him. The synoptics mostly agree on this. The “rapture” myth was manufactured during the first 250-300 years, but most Christians believe that this foolishness has some scriptural basis, when it was invented by the early apologists.

As Sam Harris says, if a mushroom cloud appeared over Jerusalem, there would be many who would welcome it. Kind of makes you want to take a shower, doesn’t it?

You said it, brother! But even a bloody psychotic-style skin shredding scrub won’t wash the lunacy away. I like how in rab’s clip Bill Maher referred to believers as having a “neurological disorder.” It’s time ‘religiopathy’ be included in the DSM. To borrow from their view, “it’s treatable.” Why are these people roaming free in society? Oh yeah, they make up the greater part of it. If that’s as far as we got in the brain power department, evolution theory is in big trouble.

You said it, brother! But even a bloody psychotic-style skin shredding scrub won’t wash the lunacy away. I like how in rab’s clip Bill Maher referred to believers as having a “neurological disorder.” It’s time ‘religiopathy’ be included in the DSM. To borrow from their view, “it’s treatable.” Why are these people roaming free in society? Oh yeah, they make up the greater part of it. If that’s as far as we got in the brain power department, evolution theory is in big trouble.

There is nothing wrong with evolutionary theory. The problem is that evolution proceeds by punctuated equilibrium. We are coming to the end of long period of relative ease and equilibrium in which fantastical belief systems have been “good enough” to insure replication of the species. There has been no real evolutionary pressure to change. Global warming, overpopulation, and depleted resources will all probably contribute to the next inevitable punctuation event in which our species will either evolve or die.

“Protecting” ourselves and the rest of humanity from your oppressive delusional grip is about as worthy a cause as they come.

How do you plan on doing that exactly?

... and their underlying agenda is to convert the heathens to christianity while attempting to ensure themselves a ticket to heaven. You haven’t exactly been a boon for the prophylactic market.

Actually, their underlying agenda is typically to “be holy as I [God] am holy.” You might want to read Romans again concerning what exactly Christians believe gets them to Heaven, because it isn’t good works. I’ll let you figure that one out on your own.

I’ve got a good example for you though, as far as “agenda” goes. One of the local churches that I attended and support has been sending church members bi-annually down to south Mississippi to help rehabilitate victims of Katrina for the past few years. In the year after Katrina, Habitat for Humanity came down with all their pomp and circumstance and started building shelters for victims. They helped a lot and provided a lot of aid. The difference was in their “agenda”. One of the leaders of the missionary group, an elder in the church, said they helped Habitat a couple days during their 10 day stay and realized how self-centered their motives actually seemed. There was so much talk of how good they felt for helping people, it was hard to distinguish between charity and narcissistic self-praise.

More importantly, where is Habitat now? Our little church, with very little resources is able to send down 10-12 church members a couple times a year who have built relationships with people down there and have helped them with more than just building and rebuilding. They’ve invested time and energy on their own dollar and made connections with them that a large, secular organization can’t do. Did the church leave when no converts were made? Of course not. You can’t help but show your ignorant bias when you make comments like that.

By the way, the church also has done the same thing in a very impoverished area of Belize, not to mention the missionaries they support from Spain, to the Czech Republic, to India, to the Congo, etc. Am I trying to compete by saying that Christians do “more better” than their secular counterparts? No. Just trying to show you the ignorance in your own comments.

“If you desire to be good, begin by believing that you are wicked.” -Epictetus

One of the leaders of the missionary group, an elder in the church, said they helped Habitat a couple days during their 10 day stay and realized how self-centered their motives actually seemed. There was so much talk of how good they felt for helping people, it was hard to distinguish between charity and narcissistic self-praise.

You’re still a morally retarded moron, Clay. A fucking moron, actually. And you’re too stupid to understand why, so I’m not going to waste more pixels. Except, of course, to call you, once again, a fucking moron. Dipshit.

“The hands that help are better far than the lips that pray.”
— Robert G. Ingersoll

Actually, their underlying agenda is typically to “be holy as I [God] am holy.” You might want to read Romans again concerning what exactly Christians believe gets them to Heaven, because it isn’t good works. I’ll let you figure that one out on your own.

I have, through my observation of the inconsistencies and variations in just what ‘Christians’ amongst themselves actually believe and practice.

One of the leaders of the missionary group, an elder in the church, said ...

Excuse me for not giving much credence to the opinion of one of your church elders.

They’ve invested time and energy on their own dollar and made connections with them that a large, secular organization can’t do.

So has Brad Pitt, et al.

Am I trying to compete by saying that Christians do “more better” than their secular counterparts? No. Just trying to show you the ignorance in your own comments.

“More better”? Unsupportable. The U.S. government, and various world organizations, in providing taxpayer funded aid and assistance directly to countries, including money to your missionaries, probably has done “more better” (quantity and quality), but you can disregard secular efforts all you want. One thing is notable, science trumps god in regards to efficacy every time.

“Protecting” ourselves and the rest of humanity from your oppressive delusional grip is about as worthy a cause as they come.

Actually, their underlying agenda is typically to “be holy as I [God] am holy.” You might want to read Romans again concerning what exactly Christians believe gets them to Heaven, because it isn’t good works. I’ll let you figure that one out on your own.

As GGD and others have been pointing out to you, much of the poverty, starvation, and disease in the world is caused by lack of family planning. Christianity poses one of the biggest obstacles to family planning throughout the third world.

How would you like to be born into a family of ten kids when there wasn’t even enough to support three kids? How would you like to spend your childhood days on a smoldering garbage dump scavenging for scraps of food, or bits of glass and metal to sell for ten cents at the end of the day?

Your humanitarian ‘holy as I am holy’ friends are rolling up their sleeves to ease monumental suffering that their own whacko religion has caused.

Because fundamentalist Christians lobby against family planning efforts and stymie U.S. support of U.N. programs, thousands, if not millions of little girls are sold by their families for your God knows what. In the film, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, a little boy is blinded by pimps to make him a more effective beggar. Do you think such things don’t really happen Mr. Holy As I Am Holy?

Tell me, why doesn’t your church support a family planning mission, and help distribute condoms? Are you going to let us figure that one out on our own?